Tilting switch



Nov. 12; 1935. L, c, HART 2,020,887

TILTfNG SWITCH F iled March 26, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

L 6 715R C H7;

ATTORNEY...

L. C, HART TILTING SWITCH Nov. 12, 1935.

Filed March 26, 1955' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IVNVENTORU LESTER CHHQT ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES TILTIN G SWITCH Lester C. Hart, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Hi- Voltage Equipment Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 26, 1935, Serial No. 13,123

4 Claims.

The invention relates to tilting switches of the insulator type and has for its principal object the provision of improved means for operating the switch arm which is compact and simple, well protected from injury, and not subject to trouble under adverse weather conditions. One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation of the device, the dotted lines showing the switch in open position. Fig; 2 is a detail view on an enlarged scale of a part of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a partial perspective View. And Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the relation of the operating ball and its socket when the switch is in closed position.

Referring to the drawings, I is the base on which the operating parts are mounted, preferably a steel channel, and 2 and 3 are insulators secured to the ends of the base by suitable standards and carrying at their upper ends the caps or terminals 4 and 5, to which the supply leads 6 and l are secured. Bolted to the base between the insulators 2 and 3, and having its shank extending through such base is the bearing housing or sleeve 8. This sleeve is provided with a pair of lugs 9, '9, on which the switch bracket is pivoted. This bracket is a casting of U shape, and comprises the arms H3, H3 and the top plate H. A standard it is bolted to the plate II, and carries the insulator l3. This insulator carries a cap M to which is secured the blade member l5. The blade member carries a pair of arcing horns I6 which straddle the horn I? mounted on the contact bracket l3. I'his bracket 18 is provided with contact fingers IQ for engagement with the blade member and with a sleet hood 23. Electrical connection is made between the blade member I5 and the terminal 4 by means of the cable 2! carried back and forth, as illustrated (Fig. 1), over sleeves mounted between the pairs of bars 22 and 23, such bars being pivoted at the points 24, 25 and 26.

In order to limit the tilting movement of the switch bracket at its two extremes of movement, the part H carries the two studs 27, 21 (Fig. 1) locked in adjusted position by the nuts 28, 2B and adapted to engage lugs 29, 29 on the top plate 30 of the housing sleeve 8.

The switch bracket is rocked from a spindle 3! having a flat head 32 and mounted in the roller bearing 33, 33 (Fig. 2). The lower end of the spindle is hexagonal to provide for the application of suitable operating means, such as a crank or the like, which is not shown, and a check nut 34 is threaded to the end of the spindle to hold it in position, the nut being locked by the set screw 35 Bolted to the head 32 is a disc 36 provided with a crank arm 31, on which a coupling 38 is pivoted; thus providing for multiple pole operation 5' through the use of suitable connecting rods. Threaded into the disc 36 is a stud 39 having a ball 40 at its upper end. This ball fits into an elongated socket 4| in the top plate H- of the crank bracket, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The smaller diameter of the socket is a loose sliding fit with the ball, while the larger diameter permits this sliding movement. By reason of this ball and socket connection, the rotation of the spindle 3| and the disc 36 carried thereby causes l? a rocking movement of the switch bracket on the hinge studs 42, so that the switch arm may be swung from the closed position shown in full lines in Fig. l to the open position shown in dotted lines. The rocking movement of the spindle is limited by means of the stop bolts 43 extending through lugs 44 projecting from the head 32 of the spindle and engaging lugs 45 carried by the bearing housing, the bolts being locked in adjusted position by means of the jam nuts 46.

In operation, the rotation of the spindle 3| moves the ball 40 from its position, as indicated by the line AA of Fig. 4 to the dotted line position indicated by the line BB, and the engagement of the ball with its socket 4! causes the switch bracket and parts carried thereby to move from the full line position of Fig. 1 to the dotted line position, thus opening the switch. During this movement, the ball travels back and forth longitudinally of the socket, and the socket moves up and down slightly relative to the ball, clearance being provided in the socket to permit such vertical movement as indicated in Fig. 2. The reverse swinging of the switch bracket is accomplished by a reverse rotation of the spindle which brings the parts back to starting position. The stop screws 43 limit the turning movement of the spindle, and the stop screws 2'! limit the swinging movement of the switch bracket, so that the switch stops in correct position.

The operating means between the spindle and switch bracket involving the lost motion ball and socket connection, is relatively cheap and simple as compared with the operating connections heretofore employed, and is practically housed beneath'the switch arm, so that it is protected from injury and not at all subject to interference by sleet or snow.

What I claim is:

1. In combination in a switch, a base plate, a

I the insulators for swinging movement and in-' 'cluding a top member provided on its side toward the base with an elongated socket extending at right anglesthereto and having terminals to which supply leads are connected, 'a hinge bracket pivoted on the base plate intermediate the insulators for swinging movement, an insulator on the bracket provided with 'a blade connected electrically with one terminal and having contact means adapted to make electrical engagement with the other terminal when the switch bracket is in one extreme of movement, an operating spindle extending through the base plate beneath the pivot of the switch bracket, and a sliding ball and socket "connection between the end of the spindle and the hinge bracket whereby the, oscillation of the shaft swings the bracket back and forth.

2.- In combination in a switch, a base, a pair of spaced insulators mounted upon the base having terminals to which supply leads are connected,

contact means carried by one of the terminals,

a hinge bracket pivoted on the base intermediate transversely of the line of movement of the bracket, an insulator carried by the bracket having a contact member adapted to engage said .contact means when the hinge bracket is in one extreme of movement, a flexible connection between said contact member and. the terminal carried by the other insulator, an operating spindle extending transversely of the base beneath the hinge bracket, and a ball carried by the spindle eccentric with respect to the axis or rotation and engaging said socket.

' 3. In combination in a switch, a base, a pair of V spaced insulators mounted upon the base having terminals to which supply leads are connected,

contact means carried by, one of the terminals,

7 a hinge bracket pivoted on the base intermediate pair of spaced insulators carried on the base plate I the insulators for swinging movement/and comprising a pair of arms connectedat their ends to a transverse plate providedon its face next to the base with an elongated socket extending transversely of the line of movement of the bracket, an insulator carried by the bracket hav-' ing a contact member adapted to engage said contact means when the hinge bracket is in one extreme of movement, a, flexible connection between said contact member and the terminal carried by the other insulator, an operating spindle and provided with a head and a ball carried by the head eccentric with respect to the axis of rotation of the spindle and'engaging said socket.

4. In combination in a switch, a baseja pair' of spaced insulators mountedupon the base having terminals towhich supply leads are connected,

extending through the base between said arms 7 contact means carried by one of the terminals, a

hinge bracket pivoted onthe;baseintermediate the insulators ,for swinging movement and in cluding a top member provided on its side toward the base with "an elongated. socketv extending transversely of the] line of movement of the bracket,-an insulator carried by the bracket having a contact member adapted to engage said contact means when the hinge bracket is in one extreme of movement, a flexible connection between saidcontact member and'the terminalcarried by the other insulator, an operating spindle extending transversely of the base beneath'the;

hinge bracket, stop means limiting the swinging;

movement of the hinge bracket'i n both directions, stop means limiting the rotary movement of the operating spindle in both' directions, and a ball stud carried by the end of the-shaft eccentric with respect to its axis o-f'rotation and having its head lying in said socket. I

LESTER C. HART. 

